Human mind is filled
with desires. It may be related to profession, personal life or purely to enjoy
a cosy life!
Desires are good!
Professional desires help us set targets for ourselves and angle us towards achieving great heights.
Personal desires and wish buckets help us challenge ourselves to a better living!
Without desires life will be Monotonous & Boring.
From time immemorial it has been a neat business trick to capitulate on human desires for better profits!
Give the man what he wants...... He will forgo his fortune to fulfil his desires....
Well, as we all know Diabetes is spreading far and wide.
India has become the Capital of Diabetes. Chennai is slowly moving towards having 40% of its people affected by Diabetes.
Now why actually are people scared of Diabetes?
- Can’t eat sweets!
- Have to go for walking!
- Intermittent and excessive snacking has to be controlled!
- Diet restrictions & Modifications!
Do you think people are
scared of these things?
The answer is a pure NO!!
Now in the era of
internet dominating our lives diet restrictions and exercise are slowly
becoming more common even in a non-diabetic population. People follow these may
be for pure weight loss or to prevent Diabetes or just to stay Healthy!
If these are not
bothering people why is everybody scared of Diabetes?
It is the puzzles associated with diabetes which scares people....
By puzzles I mean the
inner conflict which a person with Diabetes goes through... Every single
symptom starts a war of thoughts inside the 1.5kg battle ground called the
brain...
Numbness or tingling in
feet........ Are my nerves affected? Will I lose my limb? Will I be bedridden?
Lesser urine or passing
yellowish urine....... what about my kidneys? Sugar is eating up the kidneys? Dialysis?
Kidney transplant?
Slight discomfort in
chest ...... Diabetics can have silent heart attacks. Am I having one right
now?
These may sound funny
or over exaggeration for some of you.
No.... these thoughts do linger in every person with Diabetes!
As Doctors we always
suggest some preventive measures. Some specific and some general...
- Reduce fried foods
- Reduce salt
- Avoid sugar and carbonated drinks.
- Stop smoking
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Check your feet everyday
- Have regular checkups so that problems may be identified and corrected in the very early stages.
Here comes the
business! The profit!
Advances in technology have helped find alternatives for every Doctor’s advice.
Some have worked and
some are yet to reach the masses.
Now two things which stand out among the recommendations are
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Stop smoking
Believe me or not! Some
company has started advertisements of non-alcoholic whiskey!
Smoking! This is something which the patient lies every time to the Doctor!
“I stopped years ago!!”
“I used to smoke 2
PACKETS a day... Now I smoke only 2”
It is the pure addiction which makes the person lie for years....The Desire!
Few years back came the E-cigarettes! Claimed to be less harmful than the routine cigarettes. Every mode of personal advertising was exploited..Promises of being a safe alternate to smoking. Innumerable phone calls from companies claiming to sell E-cigarettes, ads in websites and what not....
E-cigarettes were
poised to overtake traditional cigarettes in a decade or so...
So how do these
basically work?
They look like the real thing. The
end glows as you inhale. As you exhale, you puff out a cloud of what looks like
smoke. It's vapour! All e-cigarettes work basically the same way. Inside,
there's a battery, a heating element, and a cartridge that holds nicotine and
other liquids and flavours. Features and costs vary. Some are disposable.
Others have a rechargeable battery and refillable cartridges. Using an
e-cigarette is called "vaping."
Are these safe?
NO! Nicotine inside the E-cigarette
is addictive. You can get withdrawal symptoms including feeling irritable,
depressed, restless and anxious.
What we advised all these years?
Not a smoker - Don't start vaping. There are no health benefits
and some risks.
Decided to Quit smoking - Better off with an FDA-approved
method of quitting, like the nicotine patch or gum.
Not decided about quitting - would it be healthier to
switch from tobacco products to e-cigarettes? Maybe! Talk to your doctor about
the risks and benefits.
What happened now?
Recent research shows otherwise!
E-cigarettes contain up
to 10 times the amount of cancer-causing agents as regular tobacco. Researchers
found carcinogens such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in vapour produced by
several types of e-cigarette liquid. Formaldehyde- a substance found in
building materials and embalming fluids- was present at levels 10 times those
found in the smoke from regular cigarettes.
Final Conclusion is......
Nicotine in any form is
unsafe...
Best way to quit smoking
is never in turning to alternatives....
Never fully believe
advertisements..... Particularly Health related....
“Everybody lies” to make
money....
Your health lies in your
hands! Make an informed decision!
Dr.Riyaz Sheriff
Consultant Diabetologist
